Start date:
Course information
Typical offer BBB
UCAS code PQ33
Institute code L34
Taught by HistoryArtFilm
91% of students in work or further study six months after graduating (The Uni Guide 2021)
Top 10 in the UK for English (Guardian League Table 2024)
Course description
Course description
The worlds of Film and English make an exciting combination – there is much intellectual common ground on issues such as authorship, genre, identity and representation – and there is a great deal of cross-over when film adaptations are made from English Literature.
You will develop skills and knowledge relevant to both film and literature but also a fuller understanding of the different aesthetic, commercial and consumption issues they raise.
Your English learning will take you on a chronological journey from the beginnings of the English language right up to the 21st century, exploring the work of those who have the most prodigious effect on English literature and language.
Leicester is ranked among the top 15 places in the UK for Film Studies*. We offer an exciting and wide-ranging approach to the study of film, television and other visual arts. Our Film Studies modules will teach you the various methods of critical analysis that can be applied to film, whilst you will also gain practical experience – alongside exploring the process of making films, you’ll learn how to produce your own.
You can choose from a vast variety of option modules in your third year, allowing you to really focus of the areas of English Literature and Film Studies that interest you the most.
*Complete University Guide 2020 (Communication and Media Studies)
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- A-levels: BBB at A-level including English (Language, Literature or combined). Two AS-levels considered in place of one A-Level. General Studies is accepted
- EPQ with A-levels: BBC at A-level including English (Language, Literature or combined) + EPQ at grade B
- Access to HE Diploma: Pass relevant diploma with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3, 24 of which must be at distinction. To include 12 credits at Distinction in English Level 3 Modules
- International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 28 points, including 6 in Higher Level English
- BTEC Nationals: Pass Diploma with DDM. Plus grade B in A-level English (Language, Literature or combined)
Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.
If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.
Second Year Entry may be possible with suitable qualifications.
Contextual offers
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
Selection Process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.
Applicants are not normally interviewed. If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the department.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2024
Tuition fees for 2024/25 are yet to be confirmed. As an indication of what you might pay, the fees for students who started in 2023/24 were:
- £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years
- Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,250 for that year
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2024
Tuition fees for 2024/25 are yet to be confirmed. As an indication of what you might pay, the fees for students who started in 2023/24 were:
- £18,200 per year
- Year Abroad: £4,550, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
From 2022 onwards, EU nationals will pay the International fee. If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
Our curriculum includes employability and practical modules such as 'Film and Art: Academic Study and the Workplace', 'Film Production' and 'Film and Art Journalism'.
Skills acquired on this course have equipped our students to go into film preservation and curating, teaching, and other creative aspects of the film and media industries. It also provides a foundation for careers in film journalism and other cultural management positions.
Graduate destinations
Our graduates have found work with companies such as:
- British Board of Film Clasification
- Sky Cinema
- Phoenix Cinema
- Leicester Neulion
- CBRE Group
Career Development Service
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Career Development Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
Related courses
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 5: Gender equality
- Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
- Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong institutions
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1
You will acquire foundation knowledge in both English and Film Studies. You will learn about the most popular modes of literature and the predominant styles in film.
Core modules
- Reading Film
- American Film and Visual Culture
- The Novel Around the World
- Renaissance Drama: Shakespeare and his Contemporaries
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 2
Year 2
During your film modules you will explore national and transnational cinemas, and work in groups to create your own short video. You will add a new dimension to your English education by studying the critical theories that have developed in response to literature and provide possible explanations of our relationship with art.
Core modules
- Film Production
- Critical Perspectives 1
- Researching World Cinemas
- Independent Research Project: Video Essay
Option modules
Choose one option module from
Then choose one option module from
- Modern Literature from Heart of Darkness to Nineteen Eighty-Four
- Rewriting Britain from Windrush to Now
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year Abroad (optional)
Year Abroad (optional)
We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.
Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.
For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.
Please note
- A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
- You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
- Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
- Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Final Year (Film Studies Dissertation)
Final Year (Film Studies Dissertation)
During your final year you will research and write a dissertation on an area of Film Studies that most fascinates you. The rest of your learning will be entirely decided by you. A wide range of option modules will allow you to tailor your degree according to your interests and our expertise.
Core module
- Dissertation
Option modules
Choose one option module from:- Renaissance Literature from Utopia to Paradise Lost
- Victorians: from Oliver Twist to The Picture of Dorian Gray
Then choose one option module from:
- New Chinese Cinemas
- Containment and Resistance in 1950s and 1960s American Film
- Stardom and Identities in Chinese and American Cinemas
- British Popular Culture Since 1945
- Norms and Margins in French Cinema
- The Cinema of Luis Buñuel
Then choose one option module from:
- Weird Fiction/ Weird Film*
- Stardom and Identities in Chinese and American Cinemas*
- Hitchcock and Film History*
- British Popular Culture Since 1945*
- Film and Art Journalism*
- Postwar Italian Directors*
- Cinematic Representations of Latin America*
- Queering the Renaissance
- Literatures of Protest: Reading and Political Action
- The Latin World: Ancient, Medieval and Modern
- Autobiography and American Literature
- Late Victorian Gothic: Texts and Contexts
- The Other in American Fiction and Film
- The Thatcher Factor: The 1980s in Literature
- Jane Austen: The Novels, their Contexts and their Adaptations
- Tragedy
- Writing for Laughs
- Life and Fate: Russian Literature from Pushkin to Grossman
- Medieval Worlds
- Reading and Writing Climate Change Fiction
You must choose at least one option module marked *.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Final Year (English Dissertation)
Final Year (English Dissertation)
During your final year you will research and write a dissertation on an area of Film Studies that most fascinates you. The rest of your learning will be entirely decided by you. A wide range of option modules will allow you to tailor your degree according to your interests and our expertise.
Core module
- Dissertation
Option modules
Choose one option module from:- Renaissance Literature from Utopia to Paradise Lost
- Victorians: from Oliver Twist to The Picture of Dorian Gray
Then choose two option modules from:
- Queering the Renaissance*
- Literatures of Protest: Reading and Political Action*
- The Latin World: Ancient, Medieval and Modern*
- Autobiography and American Literature*
- Late Victorian Gothic: Texts and Contexts*
- The Other in American Fiction and Film*
- The Thatcher Factor: The 1980s in Literature*
- Jane Austen: The Novels, their Contexts and their Adaptations*
- Tragedy*
- Writing for Laughs*
- Life and Fate: Russian Literature from Pushkin to Grossman*
- Medieval Worlds*
- Reading and Writing Climate Change Fiction*
- Weird Fiction/ Weird Film
- Stardom and Identities in Chinese and American Cinemas
- Hitchcock and Film History
- British Popular Culture Since 1945
- Film and Art Journalism
- Postwar Italian Directors
- Cinematic Representations of Latin America
You must choose at least one option module marked *.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
The Complete University Guide 2021 ranked us 15th in the country for teaching film studies.
The David Wilson Library has extensive collections of rare books and manuscripts plus the personal archives of two local giants of 20th century writing: Joe Orton and Sue Townsend.
Our teaching staff have specialist knowledge in some fascinating areas, including female Hollywood directors, Turkish-German cinema, Chinese and transnational cinemas, American B-movies and James Bond.
Our degrees are designed with choice in mind: our generous range of options at every level of study allows you to organise your studies around existing interests, or to explore and encounter new ones.
Reading list
See the types of texts you might read, over the summer, to get a feel for the course and arrive prepared and ready to go.
View reading lists for:
Teaching and learning
Teaching
You will be taught through diverse methods including lectures, seminars, small discussion groups and film screenings. For each module, you will typically have one or two lectures and a seminar each week, along with a number of additional events such as workshops on research and study skills, learning groups, and introduced film screenings. Lectures are designed to introduce you to important debates and contexts for understanding an author or filmmaker's work. Weekly seminars, in which a tutor leads a small group of students in discussion, will allow you to explore a text or topic in depth.
You will also have the opportunity to gain practical filmmaking experience in the Film Production module in your second year.
For your third year dissertation you receive one-to-one tuition across the term from a tutor with an interest in your chosen subject.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a combination of essays, exams, reviews writing, group work and oral presentations. These assessments are designed to help you build confidence in a range of skills and to provide prospective employers with evidence that you can work effectively both as an independent researcher and as a team member. Your final degree result will be based on the work you do in the second and third years of your degree.
You will have regular meetings with your personal tutor to discuss progress in your studies. Your personal tutor will also provide a sympathetic ear for all matters of personal concern including academic, financial, housing, career or social issues.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, watching films, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence.
Your contact hours will depend on the option modules you select. You can see details of the contact hours on individual module pages.
Academic support
Our Student Learning Development Team provides help in the following areas:
- study and exam skills
- academic writing
- presentations
- dissertations
- numerical data skills
- referencing sources
Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment.
Teaching staff
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our Film Studies staff profiles and English staff profiles.
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | UCAS Code | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Film Studies and English | Qualification BA | Duration 3 years full-time | UCAS Code PQ33 | Availability How to apply |
| Course Film Studies and English with Year Abroad | Qualification BA | Duration 4 years full-time | UCAS Code PQ33 | Availability How to apply |
Data about this course
The best part of studying Film at the University of Leicester is being able to surround yourself with people with the same passion and enthusiasm for the subject, and being able to see different interpretations and reactions to the films we view.